The present invention generally relates to vehicle seat covers and more particularly to a seat cover which is mounted to the headrest of a seat such that the cover can be used with vehicles equipped with seat mounted side-impact airbags.
Currently, there are a wide variety of covers for vehicle seats. Such covers are typically manufactured from wool, sheepskin or a synthetic material. The cover is fabricated to cover the front surface of the seat in order to protect the seat from damage and provide a luxurious surface for the occupant.
Typically, prior art seat covers are fastened to the seat through the use of straps which are extensible around the seatback and bottom portion of the seat. Alternatively, the seat cover may be fabricated in a sleeve-like configuration to be advanceable over the seat in order to retain the cover in place. Specifically, the cover is sewn together such that a pocket is formed in the top and/or bottom of the cover. The pocket is advanceable over the top and/or bottom of the seatback such that the cover fully or partially encapsulates the seat.
Vehicles are currently being equipped with side-impact airbags that protect occupants from injury sustained during collisions. The side-impact airbags can be mounted in the door, door frame or the seat itself. If the side-impact airbag is mounted in the seat, it is configured to inflate along the side of the seat nearest to the car door. The side-impact airbag projects forwardly from the side of the seat upon inflation to provide a cushion between the passenger and the car door during collisions.
Typically, prior art seat covers are secured to the seat such that the cover impedes the action of side-impact airbags mounted in the seat. The straps used to secure the seat cover to the seat wrap around the seat back at a location of the side-impact airbag. Therefore, the straps interfere with the inflation of the side-impact airbag that can lead to a potentially unsafe situation. Seat covers which are secured to the seatback through the use of a pocket that encases the top of the seat can also impede the inflation of side-impact airbags. The pocket covers a portion of the seatback where the airbag exits during inflation. Therefore, the side-impact airbag will not be able to inflate because it is impeded by the seat cover advanced thereover.
Some seat covers are fabricated with slits formed within the cover at the location of the side-impact airbag mounted within the seat. The slits allow the airbag to inflate through the seat cover despite the cover wrapping around the sides of the seat. However, if the slits are not large enough or not placed over the location of the airbags (e.g., when the cover shifts), then the cover will impede the immediate inflation of the seat mounted side-impact airbag.
The present invention addresses the deficiencies in the prior art seat covers by providing a cover that can be used with a seat containing side-impact airbags. Specifically, the present invention provides a seat cover that is mountable to a headrest such that the sides of the cover are clear of the sides of the seat such that the cover does not impede or interfere with the full deployment of the seat mounted side-impact airbag.